A difficult step
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
News last week that a House-Senate oversight committee was abandoning efforts to raise some state employees’ salaries in December was an unpleasant surprise for those workers in line for their pieces of the estimated $3 million.
The plan for wage increases came after surveys were conducted of government and private employers in Kansas and eight other states — Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Wyoming and Kansas.
We don’t disagree with the survey results. In fact, in today’s economy, we know many workers in both public and private sectors who both deserve and desperately need raises.
But we have to applaud the members of the oversight committee for recognizing that 2010 is not the time to draw a line in the sand. Instead, the committee members decided, they will focus efforts on keeping in next year’s budget the $8.5 million that Gov. Mark Parkinson already has earmarked to upgrade wages of the most underpaid of state employees.
According to the Associated Press, Rep. Pat George, R-Dodge City, said a recommendation to the Legislature for full funding of the state salary plan would be dead on arrival.
“We know our challenges,” he said. “I’m just being a pragmatist.”
George is right.
We can only hope the current legislative session includes many more pragmatists who are willing to make the hard decisions necessary to help the state recover from its current financial situation.
Gwendolynne Larson
Executive Editor
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Par for the course. Most people I know haven't gotten a raise for quite some time or have lost the their job altogether. Be thankful for having a job at all. I know I am. Of course being government employees I don't know if being thankful is allowed. Be thankful just don't tell anybody. How about that.
January 19, 2010 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hjcary (anonymous) says...
My husband has been with his company for 9years and has always gotten a good raise until this Dec and no one got raises at his company. This economy is hard on everyone not just state employees.
January 19, 2010 at 4:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sadinemporia (anonymous) says...
Let's see, talking about raises for State employees, however, aren't we still waiting to hear if they are going to have to take furloughs...without pay? I bet that if you ask any State worker that has a threat of a furlough, that they would be grateful to keep their salary where it is at and eliminate the possiblity for furloughs, rather than taking a raise and still getting a furlough. That really makes a lot of sense to me...sarcasim!
January 20, 2010 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )